morning after pill

Recent posts

Yesterday evening, the NY Times reported that the FDA has approved the drug “ella” in the United States. Ella is an emergency contraceptive pill that has a longer window of effectiveness than Plan B and its generics, which are most effective within 3 days following unprotected sex. Ella is highly effective at preventing pregnancy – largely by delaying ovulation – for up to 5 days following unprotected sex. Continue Reading →

Not long ago, I noticed that a young woman had asked a question on Yahoo Questions about her risk of pregnancy from a situation in which she had fooled around with her boyfriend and was worried that she had gotten pregnant from his pre-ejaculate (pre-cum) as he had briefly put his penis inside her vagina without a condom. Even though she took Plan B (a form of emergency contraception, also called the morning after pill) about 19 hours following unprotected sex, she was still feeling very anxious and worried about her risk of pregnancy. This is what I said in my response:

It would be HIGHLY unlikely that you would get pregnant from this sexual encounter with your boyfriend for several reasons:

1. A woman actually does NOT have the same chance of getting pregnant from pre-ejaculate as she does from ejaculate; in fact, research studies have shown that there are very rarely any sperm at all in pre-ejaculate. Is it *possible* to get pregnant from a man’s pre-ejaculate? Continue Reading →

Subscribe

Books By Dr. Debby Herbenick

We Recommend

Recently, I saw a blog post called "I am not a puzzle box" making the rounds on Facebook. It was popular for a very good reason: it provided a metaphor that explains why "creepy" behaviors and harassment are so often made out to be innocuous, normal, or the fault of the victim.

According to a recent report (pdf), spreading sex education messages on social media such as Facebook can be effective in raising not only awareness of STIs and pregnancy but also increasing condom use among teenagers. Lead investigator Dr. Bull suggests that "Facebook for sexual health interventions is at least equally effective as other technology-based mechanisms, and these effects match those observed for more traditional HIV prevention programs delivered in real-world settings."

Twitter is a great place to hear about the work sex educators and researchers are doing all over the world. Often it will be the first place I see the latest sex-in-the-news story or it'll be the inspiration for a new sex ed project.

Join The Discussion

Yes, you're absolutely right - some women and men try to prevent them in certain situations, such as when they ...

My Sex Professor

In Case You Missed It

October 11th was National Coming Out Day, which was established after the 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. This celebration of identity is intended to promote equality, safety, and tolerance for all, regardless of sexual identity.

I have several friends who are medical professionals, as well as a few friends who work as patient instructors. They teach nursing, nurse practitioner, and medical students how to give medical exams by playing the role of a patient.